Thread gauging apparatus

ABSTRACT

Thread is passed over a guide pin; a knife blade is spaced accurately by a predetermined distance from the guide pin, the distance determining the maximum size and gauge of the thread. To locate the distance, and provide for accurate placement of the knife blade, the blade is made movable in a path back and forth by a camming member which has a large distance of movement with respect to the movement of the knife blade, so that widely spaced markings can be used to easily identify the accurate position of the knife blade with respect to the pin.

May 3d, 1972 United States Patent Stapfer [5'4] THREAD GAUGING APPARATUS 1,716,452 6/1929 Maino et a1................................28/64 .....28/64 2,002,843 5/1935 Truesdell... 3,321,818 5/1967 Inventor: Jakob Stapfer, Adliswil, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Schweiter AG, Horgen,

' Switzerland Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [22] Filed: Jan. 15, 1971 e um n. 0.6 d .mm 8 de mm b m w o e e T ac C .,n a .m a e dd B me A oPm a m fe d m RD. $3 Py .m V. dll m ea 7m! 5 .u Tc 6 4 8 6 0 1 o N m. D. A .1 l 2 .1

Foreign Application Priority Data distance determining the maximum size and gauge of the thread. To locate the distance, and provide for accurate placement of the knife blade, the blade is made movable in a path back and forth by a camming member which has a large distance of movement with respect to the movement of the knife blade, so that widely spaced markings can be used to easily identify the accurate position of the knife blade with respect to the pin.

8 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure References Cited THREAD GAUGING APPARATUS The present invention relates to textile machinery, and

more particularly to a thread gauging apparatus for use with thread spooling machines in which thread is carried over a pin and beneath a knife blade which accurately determines the thickness of the thread passing over the pin, to clear the thread of imperfections or excess thicknesses. Thread gauging apparatus in which a knife blade is placed by a predetermined distance from a thread guide pin has been previously proposed. The distance between the blade and the pin is a measure of the yarn number and the quality of the yarn of the thread being engaged. To accurately determine the position of the knife blade with respect to the circumference of the thread guiding pin, it has previously been proposed to use calipers or other similar measuring instruments and then directly move the knife blade into proper adjustment. Manual measurement by means of calipers and the like are difficult to carry out and variations in position of the knife blade may result, depending on the skill of the operator; the very small distances being measured and possible pressure on the calipers themselves may lead to errors and dependence of actual position of the knife on the feel and skill of the operator.

Readjustment and possible checking of the distance of the knife blade from the circumference of the thread guiding pin can be carried out only when themachine is stopped, and the thread removed therefrom; it is thus difficult to supervise the position of the knife blade, and, additionally, changes in position of the knife blade with respect to the circumference of the pin cannot be readily detected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thread gauging apparatus in which the knife blade can be accurately positioned without use of an additional measuring instrument, such as calipers, and without requiring stopping of the thread passing through the apparatus.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, the knife blade is arranged to travel in a predetermined adjustment path. A motion transmission element, such as a cam engages the knife blade (or a pin or other projection formed thereon) to move the knife blade in the adjustment path. By suitably forming the adjustment member, the movement thereof can be very much larger than the movement of the knife itself, so that accurate positioning of the knife blade can be easily indicated on an expanded, readily legible scale.

The gap between the edge of the thread guide pin and the knife edge can be accurately adjusted by using the expanded scale on the adjustment element, in combination with a bench mark on the apparatus, the ratio of distances moved by the adjustment element and the knife providing for a large movement by the adjustment element, with a very small movement of the knife, so that a fine positioning of the knife, and hence accurate adjustment of the gap becomes possible.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

the single drawing is a perspective view of a thread gauging apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

A housing body 1 is arranged to be secured to a spooling machine, not further shown, for example by screws being passed through screw holes S. A carrier 2 extends from housing 1 on which a thread guide-pin 3 is secured. Thread guide pin 3 is of material which is highly wear resistant. The edge of a knife blade 4 extends parallel to thread guide pin 3. Knife 4 is connected to a guide rail 5 running in a slide groove or track 6 formed in the housing body 1. Knife 4 can be moved in an adjustment path by motion of rail 5, towards or away from pin 3, and transverse thereto. The distance d between the edge of the knife 4 and the circumference of guide pin 3 provides a measure for the degree of clearing and freedom from defects, that is the qualitative cleanliness of thread passing between pin 3 and the edge of the knife 4, given a thread with a predetermined yarn number. The knife 4 is secured in position relative to the pin 3 by means of a screw 7, which passes through an elongated slot 8 in the guide rail 5, and which can be screwed into a suitable threaded opening in housing 1.

The position of knife 4, and its guide rail 5, with respect to the thread guide pin 3 is determined by an adjustment pusher 9. Element 9, in form of a slider, is located approximately in the middle of guide rail 5, transverse thereto, and arranged above guide rail 5. Slider 9 slides in grooves 10 formed in housing 1. A cover plate, removed in the figure and not shown completes the entire assembly. It may likewise be secured to screw holes S, and is preferably formed with a small projection fitting into track 6 to positively guide rail 5.

Slider 9 is formed with a constricted region in the zone overlying the rail 5, to form a pair of parallel control surfaces 1 l, sliding, without clearance and play, between a pair of pins 12 formed on the upper surface of rail 5. The surfaces 1 1 and pins 12, together, form a camming arrangement, in which movement of the slider 9 is transferred to rail 5 carrying knife 4, with a large ratio of transmission. As is readily seen in the figure, transverse movement of the slider 9 causes sliding of rail 5, and with it of knife 4 to change the distance d between knife 4 and the thread guide 3. The angle formed by the surface 11 with the adjustment path determined by rail 5 and tracks 6 determines the transmission ratio of movement of slider 9 and the distance of movement of knife rail 5. Decrease of this angle increases the distance required through which slider 9 must be moved to obtain a given unit of displacement of knife 4. Corresponding to this ratio of transmission, a bench mark 13 is formed on the housing body 1, to cooperate with an indicator scale 4 on the slider, which can directly indicate the distance d in a suitable unit, the scale 14 being greatly enlarged with respect to the actual change of distance d. To simplify adjustment of the knife, slider 9 is formed with a thumb pressure plate 15 at its remote end, and biased into an extreme position, for example zero position of the gap, be means of a spring 16.

Rather than forming the slider with an inclined surface 11, the slider itself can be arranged to move in a direction at an angle with respect to the path of displacement of the knife 4. The slider itself can be moved by spindles, worm gears, rack and pinion arrangements, or the like.

The present invention has been illustrated particularly in connection with a thread gauging apparatus in which a slider has a camming surface moving at an angle with respect to the path of displacement of the knife blade. Various changes and modifications may be made within the inventive concept.

The camming arrangement formed of surfaces 11 and pins 12 can be considered a developed surface of a circular cam; thus, slider 9 can be replaced by a disk with a slot therein, forming a camming surface and, upon rotation of the disk, moving the knife rail 5, and with it knife 4, back and forth. Such a slot may, for example, be a slot formed eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the disk. Alternatively, a disk having a pair of eccentric surfaces can be arranged between a pair of pins, such a pin 12, 12, rotation of the disk displacing the pins, and hence knife rail 5 and knife 4 as previously described.

What is claimed is:

1. Thread gauging apparatus having a thread guide pin (3) over which the thread is passed;

a knife blade (4) placed adjacent said thread guide pin with a predetermined clearance (d) therefrom, the gap between the pin surface and the knife blade edge determining the width of the thread passing therethrough and thus its gauge number and freedom from oversized defects;

and means adjustably locating said knife blade with said predetermined clearance, comprising movable means (9) engaging said knife having a path of movement greater than the movement of the knife blade; and indicator means (13, 14) associated with said movable means indicating the extent of movement thereof,

whereby the knife blade can be accurately positioned.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including knife blade guide means (5, 6) guiding said knife blade in an adjustment path towards and away from said pin;

wherein said movable means engaging said knife blade comprises a camming means (1 l) engaging (12) said knife to move said knife in said path.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a knife blade guide track (6) formed on said apparatus, guiding said knife blade in an adjustment path towards and away from said pin wherein said movable means engaging said knife blade comprises a slider (9) movable in a direction transverse to said path;

an inclined slide surface (11) formed on said slider and having an angle of inclination with respect to said transverse direction, and a surface engaging pin secured to said knife, whereby movement of said slider will move the knife in the direction transverse to slider movement and by a distance determined by the angle of inclination of said surface.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the slider is movable at right angles with respect to said adjustment path of the knife;

and said angle of inclination, with respect to a right angle with said adjustment path, determining the ratio of reduction of movement.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said slider has a pair of parallel inclined surfaces;

and said knife is formed with a pair of pins, one each engaging one of said surfaces.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a fixed bench mark formed on said apparatus adjacent said camming means, said camming means being formed with a scale cooperating with said bench mark.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 including spring biasing means engaging said camming means to a rest position in which said predetermined distance is an extreme value;

and manually engageable means formed on said camming means to enable manual positioning of said camming means against said spring.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 including means retaining said camming means in a predetermined position on said apparatus.

IF 0' i 

1. Thread gauging apparatus having a thread guide pin (3) over which the thread is passed; a knife blade (4) placed adjacent said thread guide pin with a predetermined clearance (d) therefrom, the gap between the pin surface and the knife blade edge determining the width of the thread passing therethrough and thus its gauge number and freedom from oversized defects; and means adjustably locating said knife blade with said predetermined clearance, comprising movable means (9) engaging said knife having a path of movement greater than the movement of the knife blade; and indicator means (13, 14) associated with said movable means indicating the extent of movement thereof, whereby the knife blade can be accurately positioned.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including knife blade guide means (5, 6) guiding said knife blade in an adjustment path towards and away from said pin; wherein said movable means engaging said knife blade comprises a camming means (11) engaging (12) said knife to move said knife in said path.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a knife blade guide track (6) formed on said apparatus, guiding said knife blade in an adjustment path towards and away from said pin (3); wherein said movable means engaging said knife blade comprises a slider (9) movable in a direction transverse to said path; an inclined slide surface (11) formed on said slider and having an angle of inclination with respect to said transverse direction, and a surface engaging pin secured to said knife, whereby movement of said slider will move the knife in the direction transverse to slider movement and by a distance determined by the angle of inclination of said surface.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the slider is movable at right angles with respect to said adjustment path of the knife; and said angle of inclination, with respect to a right angle with said adjustment path, determining the ratio of reduction of movement.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said slider has a pair of parallel inclined surfaces; and said knife is formed with a pair of pins, one each engaging one of said surfaces.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a fixed bench mark formed on said apparatus adjacent said camming means, said camming means being formed with a scale cooperating with said bench mark.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 2 including spring biasing means engaging said camming means to a rest position in which said predetermined distance is an extreme value; and manually engageable means formed on said camming means to enable manual positioning of said camming means against said spring.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 2 including means retaining said camming means in a predetermined position on said apparatus. 